Malen: Happy with form but could have scored more; title race still has many matches to play

Roma aim to bounce back from a 4–3 defeat to Real Madrid when they travel to Genoa on Saturday evening. The match kicks off at 20:45 as the Giallorossi look to recover from the dramatic comeback they conceded against the Spanish side. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference tomorrow at 13:30 from Trigoria. The Giallorossi boss will assess the fitness of Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala before finalising his team selection for the Serie A encounter. Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante remain unavailable for the trip.

Daniele De Rossi will face Roma for the third time as an opponent on Saturday at 18:00, with the match taking place at the Olimpico. The Genoa manager previously managed Roma and will encounter a team bruised by a midweek defeat to Real Madrid but preparing to fight back. De Rossi played Roma twice before—on 29 December 2025, when the Olimpico crowd embraced him after a 3–1 loss under Gasperini, and at Marassi in March, which Genoa won 2–1. In his pre-match press conference, De Rossi acknowledged that his prior experience facing Roma may help him stay emotionally detached: "Perhaps the fact that I've already played against Roma can help me be a bit colder, but the real difference is that I prepared the first match worse while the second one a bit better." He emphasised Roma's growth since December: "The value of Roma has increased compared to that time in December. It's an incredibly strong squad and yesterday it nonetheless gave a demonstration of that." De Rossi watched Roma's Champions League fixture against Real Madrid closely and was struck by their overall display despite the defeat. He described them as "a truly frightening team." When assessing set-piece vulnerability—Roma conceded goals from corners against Madrid—De Rossi noted that statistics show 30 per cent of goals stem from set plays, making it a wider issue than Roma alone. He pointed to Roma's strengths: "Roma is in good shape, has jumpers and a goalkeeper like Gollini." De Rossi stressed the importance of tactical preparation and respect for the opposition: "I've studied the opponent, our characteristics and assessed our players' condition this week. Roma's match yesterday evening involved great expenditure of energy, both physical and mental. We'll need to be at full strength and, why not, one thinks about changes too. We must not play based on opponents but their characteristics must be respected and fought." De Rossi will attempt to win what will always remain his home, whatever the outcome.

Roma must quickly put behind the disappointment of conceding a late comeback against Real Madrid, who scored twice in the final minutes to win 4–3. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will address the media tomorrow at 13:30 ahead of the Genoa fixture. Gasperini will be without five players for the match. Bryan Cristante, Donyell Malen, Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala are all unavailable. Koné and Dybala will undergo instrumental tests tomorrow to establish their recovery timescale.

Roma's 3–1 victory over Real Madrid on 14 October left supporters with mixed emotions. For 80 minutes Roma dominated the European champions, but defensive errors in the closing stages—specifically three corner-kick concessions—soured what could have been a complete performance. A fan and observer reflecting on the match the morning after acknowledged the pride of the display while warning that such lapses cannot recur if Roma are to sustain a title challenge this season. Gasperini's work and his squad have a clear objective: Roma must compete at the highest level. The article praised the team's attacking quality and intensity but identified corner-kick defending as a correctable flaw that Gasperini must address. The performance drew criticism from Mourinho, who saw the match differently; the writer disagreed, saying "there were 80 minutes of Roma and nothing else" before three crucial set-piece errors. The broader context is that Roma, as a squad commanding significant investment, must maintain focus and consistency throughout the 2026–27 season to challenge for honours. Donyell Malen was singled out for particular praise: "Every shot a threat, no waste." The writer observed that Malen's two goals against Real Madrid, combined with a victory, would have completed his vindication at the club—though the player's quality was acknowledged regardless of the result. The emotional weight of the night united Roma's supporters across the city, a reminder of football's power to bind a community. Looking ahead, Roma must refocus before the fixture against Genoa, managed by Daniele De Rossi. Santiago Castro and Rodrigo Mora are expected to take prominent roles in that match. Gasperini's task is to correct the set-piece errors and restore the clarity that Roma displayed in open play, ensuring the club builds on the positives rather than repeating defensive mistakes.

Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné will undergo instrumental scans on 16 October to determine the severity of injuries sustained in Roma's recent fixture. Koné suffered a problem to his biceps femoris with fears of a muscle tear, while Dybala withdrew with a muscular strain. His entourage has signalled optimism, though confirmation will come after the scans. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini must navigate significant absences for the Genoa match, with Donyell Malen unavailable through suspension and Dybala and Koné unlikely to feature. This will force tactical changes beyond a typical rotation: Rodrigo Mora, Niccolò Pisilli and Santiago Castro are expected to feature more prominently. The run of injuries follows Roma's recent disappointment at the Olimpico, where Gasperini must shift focus quickly to the league fixture without time to dwell on that setback. The enforced absences represent a necessity rather than planned squad management, as the technical staff grapples with multiple unavailability. Genoa will provide Roma's immediate opportunity to bounce back, with the league offering no respite. Former manager Daniele De Rossi will return to the Olimpico as Genoa's head coach. Speaking on the fixture, De Rossi said: "Like the match last year, I prepared it like all the others and was focused on the game. Perhaps having already played against Roma might help me be a bit more detached, but the real difference is that I prepared last year's first leg worse while the second one a bit better."

Sports Illustrated, the US photography-focused publication, has highlighted Donyell Malen in a recent Instagram post following his standout display against Real Madrid. The Dutch forward scored twice in that match and became the subject of a 20-image gallery published by SI featuring Roma's number 9. The caption read: "Donyell Malen renders every image iconic."

Roma face Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday 17 October at 20:45 in Serie A matchday seven, aiming to return to winning ways after a 4–3 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. The Giallorossi drew 0–0 against Como and 0–0 against Inter before the Real Madrid loss; they have not won since facing Torino. Genoa, managed by Daniele De Rossi, won their first match of the season last time out, beating Fiorentina 2–1. Gasperini will make changes to his squad following injuries sustained against Real Madrid. Manu Koné left the pitch in the first half with a muscle problem, while Paulo Dybala was substituted at half-time with a muscular strain; both remain under assessment as of 15 October, with recovery timings unclear. Mile Svilar is out with a fractured toe, Bryan Cristante with a knee problem, and Donyell Malen suspended following his red card against Como. Roma last won on matchday six against Torino. In Gasperini's 3–4–2–1 formation, Pierluigi Gollini will start in goal with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in the three-man defence. Emanuele Lulli and Wesley are set for the full-back positions, with Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli in midfield. Santiago Castro will lead the attack in place of the suspended Malen, Matías Soulé will play behind him, and Rodrigo Mora is favoured to complete the attacking line if Dybala cannot recover; Lorenzo Pellegrini is an alternative. De Rossi's Genoa are likely to line up in a 4–4–1–1 with goalkeeper Bijlow, but a 3–5–2 with Vitinha alongside the striker remains possible. Roma hold a dominant record at the Olimpico against Genoa: across 65 official matches played in the capital, the Giallorossi have won 48, Genoa 9, with 8 draws. Most recently Roma won 3–1 on 29 December 2025; before that, on 17 January 1990, Genoa last won at the Olimpico, prevailing 1–0. The official lineups will be confirmed before kickoff. The match will be broadcast on DAZN and Sky Sport, with streaming available through NOW and Sky Go according to subscription level.

Roma return to Champions League football at the Olimpico for the first time in seven years, facing Real Madrid, the competition's most successful winner. Gasperini opts for a three-at-the-back formation with Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso in defence. Wesley and Molina patrol the flanks, with Koné and De Roon in midfield. Soulé plays behind Dybala and Malen in attack. Roma (3-4-1-2): Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Wesley, Koné, De Roon, Molina; Soulé; Dybala, Malen. Substitutes: De Marzi, Vásquez, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Koulierakis, Rensch, Lulli, Pisilli, Mora, Castro, Pellegrini. Manager: Gasperini. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Rüdiger, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouaméni; Güler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappé. Substitutes: Lunin, Mestre, Dumfries, Huijsen, Carreras, Camavinga, Bernardo Silva, Brahim Díaz, Diomandé, Endrick, Espí, Pitarch. Manager: Mourinho.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's Champions League league-phase match against Real Madrid, kick-off 21:00 this evening. Konstantinos Koulierakis returns to the travelling party, while Devis Vásquez is included among the goalkeepers. The squad list features 24 players across all four positions. In defence, Gasperini has selected Devyne Rensch, Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi. Midfield options comprise Lorenzo Pellegrini, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora. The forward line includes Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.